Here we have the latest EP from Oscar Powell who has caused a bit of commotion with his previous releases and this new one on Mute will live up to the excitement caused. He produces a kind of throbbing, technoid dark wave with pulsating bass and industrial clanks and fizzes running through. Its a pulsy, intoxicating brew which will appeal to fans of the original New York no wave scene but also more recent travellers in the genre such as Factory Floor. Having said all that its a really original sound and despite its firmly rhythmic anti-melodic stance there are little inflections of melody to keep the ear focused, a guitar clank here, a shard of new wave funk there.
The no-wave link continues on the B side `Wharton Tiers on drums' which for about half the song I thought he was on drums before realising its from a voice sample of someone saying `Wharton Tiers on Drums' . Its confusing. The track pulses around an ever repeating vocal sample which creates a kind of disconcerting feel but the sample drops out to leave the most unusual clanks in place. There is a final short piece with tribal drums and a buzzy synth, a similar noise to that caused when I keep bloody touching the loose wire on this record player.
